When high school students walk through the doors to begin the school year in September, they will be entering into a new reality.
“Really just a bit nervous honestly, because it’s the midst of a pandemic,” said 11th grade Claremont Secondary student Luca Hutchinson.
As B.C.’s COVID-19 curve has continued to trend upward throughout August, some parents and school staff have voiced concerns about the return to the classroom, and now students are sharing their fears.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen if there’s going to be more cases or less cases, so I’m just really worried,” Hutchinson said.
“Being with all these people in like tight crowded hallways, it does kind of get you thinking about what if I get it and bring it home and give it to my family,” said 11th grade Oak Bay Secondary student Phoenix Evanoff.
Others, however, are looking forward to getting back to class, and in particular, seeing their friends.
“Right at the moment, I think it would be fine if we all went back to school and I think it’s beneficial for everyone to go back to school. More for like the social aspect of it and one-on-one’s with teachers and classmates and everything,” said 11th grade Claremont Secondary student Jada Leung.
Students will be learning in smaller groups. There will be no large gatherings or inter-school sports. The reality is the traditional high school experience is being put on hold.
READ MORE: Back to school: What does a return to the classroom look like for Island students?
“With the socially distancing you can lose a lot of friends or not remember a lot of people,” said Dylan Lamoureux, who is entering his Grade 12 year at Royal Bay Secondary School.
While acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, the students haven’t lost perspective.
“Everybody’s been thrown into this with nothing and we’re trying to make the best of it,” Lamoureux said.
Ben Nesbit
